This week Rugby Inc mobilised, issuing as strong a statement as they could. The proposed breakaway league R360, a consortium fronted by World Cup-winning former England player Mike Tindall, had pinched a nerve.
The group of allied unions were unambiguous. They would ban players from international representation if they signed for the rebel R360 competition, which is due to begin next year.
They also expressed concerns about the annual rugby calendar and the not-insignificant matter of “hollowing out the investment that national unions and existing leagues make”.
The statement was signed by the IRFU and the national rugby unions of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England, Scotland, France and Italy. Its tone was understated fury.
The view is that R360 is an existential threat to the current rugby ecosystem and will fragm
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